Object of desire: the world's most expensive smartphone revealed

British luxury designer Stuart Hughes has created a £10 million, solid-gold bodied, diamond-encrusted iPhone 5. Sapphire glass is used to create body armor and only a diamond is stronger or more resistant.

British luxury designer Stuart Hughes has created a £10 million, solid-gold bodied, diamond-encrusted iPhone 5.

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, talks about new features to the company's laptops during the Apple Developers Conference in San Francisco, Monday, June 11, 2012. Apple says it's introducing a laptop with a super-high resolution 'Retina' display, setting a new standard for screen sharpness. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, talks about new features to the company's laptops during the Apple Developers Conference in San Francisco, Monday, June 11, 2012. Apple says it's introducing a laptop with a super-high resolution 'Retina' display, setting a new standard for screen sharpness. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

One other notable difference, and one that could soon become a reality on all smartphones, is the use of sapphire glass rather than the standard Gorilla Glass to cover the iPhone's display. Sapphire glass is used to create body armor and only a diamond is stronger or more resistant. However, at current prices, a sheet of such glass costs 10 times more than Gorilla Glass.

Although this was a commission, Hughes is more than happy to produce another Black Diamond, if a consumer has £10 million (US$ 15 million) to spare.